Volkswagen Amarok EV being considered, PHEV no closer

There have been whispers of electrified Volkswagen Amarok variants for a while, and up to date comments suggest a battery-electric ute remains to be higher on the priority list than a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

The present-generation Volkswagen Amarok launched in 2023 and utilises a platform shared with the top-selling Ford Ranger. Despite Ford’s recent reveal of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of its Ranger, Volkswagen’s position on such a powertrain for its ute seemingly hasn’t modified.

Speaking with British publication Autocar in 2022, Volkswagen Industrial Vehicles board member liable for marketing, Lars Krause, outlined the brand was “seriously considering” a pure-electric version of the Amarok over a PHEV, citing electric driving range shortfalls.

On the local launch for Volkswagen’s new-generation Multivan, Mr Krause echoed his sentiment to CarExpert that an electrical Amarok would “definitely” form a part of the range-wide electrification of the brand’s industrial vehicles.

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“We’re electrifying our full range of vehicles, and this features a BEV [battery-electric vehicle] version of Amarok. That’s into account definitely,” he said.

It’s unclear whether this may be in the course of the current generation of Volkswagen’s ute.

He didn’t rule out an Amarok PHEV entirely either, but said the introduction of that powertrain can be as much as the client.

“We’re analysing it, it’s a possibility, but at the tip it follows the client demand,” Mr Krause told CarExpert.

“To date, the client demand leads us within the direction of diesel, but when the client demand is large enough to also convert a business case based on plug-in hybrid, that’s an option.”

PHEV sales have soared in Australia over the past couple of years, with the BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute even becoming the sixth best-selling vehicle in our market in March.

Nevertheless, this enormous PHEV sales growth has come from a low base, while the removal of the Fringe Advantages Tax (FBT) exemption for PHEVs from April 1 could see this growth come back all the way down to earth.

Regardless, Ford is launching its Ranger PHEV here this yr, and it’ll face competition not only from the rival BYD ute but additionally the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.

It’s expected that if an Amarok PHEV were to be produced, Volkswagen would leverage its partnership with Ford to utilise powertrain tech developed for the Ranger – particularly given all existing Amarok powertrains are from Ford.

Ford’s ute will use a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine mated with a 75kW electric motor and an 11.8kWh battery pack. This is claimed to offer the Ranger PHEV an electrical driving range of 49km on the NEDC cycle while contributing to a fuel economy claim of just 2.9L/100km.

The PHEV powertrain can be along with the 4 engines already offered within the Ranger locally, which comprise single- and bi-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels, a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, and the three.0-litre turbo V6 petrol reserved for the Raptor.

The Amarok, meanwhile, is currently offered with 4 engines borrowed from Ford: the three aforementioned diesels, plus a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol that’s offered within the Ranger in markets just like the US.

It’s also price noting that while Australian-delivered Rangers are inbuilt Thailand, our Ranger PHEV and Amarok are each inbuilt South Africa. Standard Rangers are also built there but delivered elsewhere.

Volkswagen Australia has previously said it wants electric versions of the Amarok and full-size Crafter van.

Within the US, Volkswagen has already revealed an electrical ute with the Terra ute, developed for its newly established Scout brand.

It will enter production within the US in 2027 and shapes as an alternative choice to the likes of the Rivian R1T, though for now it has only been confirmed for left-hand drive production.

The German giant can be replacing the first-generation Amarok still produced in Argentina with a vehicle developed with SAIC Motor, which is known to be an in depth relation to the LDV Terron 9/MG U9 twins.

This ute can be sold in South America, though it’s unclear if Volkswagen will offer a version of the related, electric-powered eTerron 9.